Birds to See in Belfast in September
76 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in September
Of these, the most often recorded are Hooded Crow, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, European Herring Gull and Magpie. New this month: Greenfinch, Brent Goose, Red-breasted Merganser and Eurasian Jay and 5 more.
On the move in September
GBIF · SepArriving
At their peak
From Belfast’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 76 birds in September
76 birds
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 4.55% in Sep
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.41% in Sep
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 4.32% in Sep
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.01% in Sep
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.99% in Sep
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Sep
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.17% in Sep
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 2.95% in Sep
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.86% in Sep
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in Sep
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 2.39% in Sep
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.19% in Sep
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 2.19% in Sep
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Sep
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Sep
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Sep
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.02% in Sep
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.02% in Sep
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.97% in Sep
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.74% in Sep
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 1.71% in Sep
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Sep
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.57% in Sep
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.40% in Sep
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.35% in Sep
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Sep
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Sep
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.21% in Sep
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.18% in Sep
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.15% in Sep
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Sep
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Sep
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Sep
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Sep
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.95% in Sep
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.95% in Sep
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Sep
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.81% in Sep
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Sep
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Sep
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.73% in Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.70% in Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.70% in Sep
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Sep
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.67% in Sep
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.65% in Sep
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.65% in Sep
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.62% in Sep
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Sep
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.62% in Sep
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.59% in Sep
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.56% in Sep
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.56% in Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.53% in Sep
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.48% in Sep
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.42% in Sep
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Sep
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.39% in Sep
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.36% in Sep
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.34% in Sep
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.34% in Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaScarceUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Sep · 0.34% in Sep
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.28% in Sep
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.28% in Sep
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorCommon32–35 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.28% in Sep
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.28% in Sep
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.25% in Sep
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Sep · 0.25% in Sep
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.25% in Sep
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.22% in Sep
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.22% in Sep
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRegularly Jun–Sep · 0.20% in Sep
Northern GannetMorus bassanusPassage migrantUncommon87–100 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.20% in Sep
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantCommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.14% in Sep
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jun–Sep · 0.11% in Sep
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made